


Metanoia

by Write_to_write_amirite



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Android Dehumanization (Detroit: Become Human), Bad Parenting, Carl Manfred & Markus Parent-Child Relationship, Child Abandonment, Child Neglect, Childhood Trauma, Cruelty before wholesome, Dad!Elijah, Dehumanization, Elijah is a mess, Foster Care, I promise it get wholesome, Maybe a bit, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parent-Child Relationship, Parenthood, Possible Drinking/Drunkeness, Single Parents, Swearing, because it’s not, but it’s not a problem, but not excessive, like a drinking problem, there’s a lesson in this somewhere
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-11-14 04:57:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18045923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Write_to_write_amirite/pseuds/Write_to_write_amirite
Summary: Metanoia - (n.) the journey of changing one’s mind, heart, self, or way of life.The years of uprising success for Elijah have been the most delightful and most valued years he thought he’d take from life. Or so he thought. However, lurking in the most inner corner of his intelligent mind was a consequence he couldn’t bare to bring himself to face until now. His son named Markus, who was hidden away from the media and purposely raised by an android, was at threat of entering Elijah’s life now more permenitantly. Elijah knew nothing of how to raise a child, let alone had any interest in becoming a dad. But when all other options fail and reality begins to set in, Elijah must confront this hidden fear of his he had been avoid for 6 years now. The fear of becoming a father.





	Metanoia

  His frontal lobe throbbed with an all too familiar agonizing pain, murky grey eyes drifting away from the natural sunlight peering in from the high-rise glass windows. With two fingers pressed to his temple, rubbing in a circular motion, he stared down at his blue-light protected phone to check the time.

 _11:27 a.m._ It’s only been an hour, and yet it seemed like it was already time for the young entrepreneur clock out. Not to say he hasn’t already been clocked out since last night when a funny little celebration from his successful progress at work turned into fuzzy lights and a few bodies grinding against him at one of his favorite VIP nightclubs.

  Normally, Elijah could push through a normal hangover and get straight down to business the next morning with nothing slowing him down. However, despite the effort to drown himself in multiple cups of black coffee this morning, nothing could keep the raven-haired man focused long enough to get anything on his agenda done.

  He had multiple meetings today with both staff and representatives of science and technology institutes. Only two of which he had managed to get through today, but luckily since they were both of top priority and the rest weren’t of much concern to himself he could either move the rest to tomorrow or have his secretary fill in for him.

  _Secretary_. He never thought in his own head would he had simplified his remarkably beautiful creation down to a disgustingly low and insignificant profile. And yet, that was his main reason for creating them all in the beginning anyways: to make life’s daily obstacles and inconveniences a little easier.

  His foot rocked him side to side, wrapped around the legs of his swivel chair. The room was dead silent, vacant except himself, leaving him in the seclusion of his own mind and thoughts.

  Through the see-through glass doors, he could see his employees working as they always did. Filing, typing, trading, exchanging, explaining, chatting, calling. Sometimes he wondered why he hadn’t replaced them yet, those distracted and utterly disgraceful beings complaining about their nine to five job while he pays for their basic human necessities and overly dramatic luxuries.

  The human brain, he never quite understood it. Why people feel the way they do, why people let themselves down, why they don’t give themselves a chance. It’s pathetic and weak. And while it was somewhat hypocritical of himself, Elijah never really acknowledged his _human_ thoughts.

  Everything had an objective, either accomplish or fail it. If there’s a task, complete it. Don’t let the emotion of other people get in the way of that. This is why he was made to create androids. The coding of their brains was an expressive desire embedded in his skin. He created them with the mission-oriented mindset he had so dreamed to show humanity, to see these changes be made in their society.

  However, it was just a mere thought. May those disgusting creatures rot in their skin if they wish. There was no saving those ignorant, selfish and greedy children we call humanity.

  In black flats, she approached the glass door then slid open for her upon the rotation of her blue LED. A beautiful creature indeed. She appeared in a sweet little formal navy blue dress that came just over the knee, sleeves cutting off at the very edge of her shoulders. In the reflection of the glass, he could see an opening in the dress that revealed the perfect curvature of her posture and that wonderfully silk skin.

  Her hair was neatly pulled back into a bun, unlike the ponytail he usually preferred. Yet, the new look in the RT600 model did not fail to bring internal amusing in himself.

  “What do you think of it?” He hummed, setting his phone down on the conference table and raising his arm to gesture the android to come stand by his side.”The dress, does it fulfill your liking?”

  Her blue eyes sparkling in the natural lighting of the ensuing gazing through the windows, ”It fulfills it’s purpose, if that’s what you mean. I do not have the ability to perceive the value of materials and objects on a level of interest as you, Mr. Kamski.”

  She moved close to the man, allowing his hand to glide along her spine as he took awe in her beauty.

  ”However, the dress does seem to appeal to many of the fellow workmen, both in the labor and office units I have visited today. I have acquired that I have received an increase of 45% over longing stares from the men and women in my departments of assistance. They ranged from 10.7 seconds to 3.24 minutes, averaging at 1.45 minutes.”

  It was nothing he wasn’t already aware of, and nothing he was all too concerned with. Chloe was a dazzling figure, constructed and designed by himself to physically appeal attraction to the average man or woman. If anything, the data was reassuring.

  “Does it make you uncomfortable? The attention?” He pressed, giving her all of his focus.

  “It does not impair my ability to work nor converse with my co-workers. I have gathered they are of a higher chance to do ask instructed, and finish tasks quicker.”

  She held a few packets of paper held together by a clipboard, as well as a manila folder. He careful plucked them from her hands which slowly recoiled back to her sides in her default pose.”Chloe,” the man addressed as he began reading.”I give you permission to call me by my first name when talking directly to me, in a private setting.”

  Her LED circled again, nodding her head once.”Thank you, Elijah.”

  “When we are done here, send my approval and thanks to the clothing design team. Inform them they will be receiving an increase in pay as reward for their effort and style in your new work attire.”

  “I will do so.”

  His fingers grasped onto the papers, eyes skimming over data and other details he were to be informed of. However, they were quite insignificant and something usually Chloe would inform him of later when he asked for a review of the day. This wasn’t something he needed to be address of now, especially in the workday.

  “What was it you needed to bring to my attention in between my busy schedule?” While it came off as disrespectful, Elijah trained Chloe of optimal performance in the workplace. She was not supposed to interrupt his workflow unless called upon or of emergency importance, especially not in person either. Even if he had given himself an hour break to think and meditate, she was not supposed to intervene.

  Chloe looked down at him, hands coming to fold in front of herself.”I have come to inform you there has been a problem with one of your personal side projects. One appears to have generated a false code based on the gradual gathering of external information. From this, the AI has created and slowly modified a virus within itself that cannot be removed without your authorization.”

  Kamski hummed again, setting the clipboard down on the table, elbows coming to rest on the armrest of his chair and hands coming to enclose around each other as he processed this information. An AI of his own, developing an erratic virus within itself due to the environment around itself. It seemed quite random, out of the blue. What creation of his would ever collapse itself in a virus to either damage or destroy itself?

  “And this side project would be?”

  “Carl Manfred. Experimental model CT400.”

  The name shuddered down his back, invoking a violent memory of the sound of denial from which he had last spoke to the man. Carl Manfred. He swallowed thickly, pushing his chair back and looking back at the blank expression on the android's face.

  His tone changed entirely, rushed and aggressive.”Has his condition been stabilized?”

  Repressed memories of conversations flooded his ears. It invoked a wave of nausea in his throat, which brought him to wipe his mouth instinctively. His jaw felt stiff, shoulders tense and hands gripping each other in response to it all.

  “I’m afraid not. As I had said, the virus cannot be removed with your authorization for shut down.”

  “What’s the severity of the virus?”

  “It has been further examined to have the capability to destroy the android’s internal hard drive. However, with the way it has been coded, it looks to be disguised in a way to mimic a human heart attack.”

  He stood up quickly, hands slamming onto the glass surface.“Why wasn’t I informed of this earlier!?”

  “There was no indication of change in the code. There were no warnings. As I can tell, the AI developed a back door only you can unlock manually, which would’ve allowed for the virus to go undetected and dormant for as long as it needed up until you checked the coding personally.”

  Many emotions bubbled under Kamski’s skin. Frustration, denial, shock, regret, disappointment, and fear. How could the development of this had gone on for so long that he hadn’t noticed? The man swallowed thickly, Adam's apple bobbing. He had not dared to look at anything involved with that android since it’s creation.

  “Cancel everything.” He stated, gathering his things and shoving them in the pockets of his suit frantically.”Take over the rest of my meetings if needed, I have to fix this immediately.”

  With that, he shoved his way past the blond android pushed past the glass door, rushing his way back home. Elijah thought he was going to have a panic attack in his car. This could not be the start of a problem that should have never existed before.

 

* * *

 

 

  “You keep moving your fingers.”

  “Because it’s uncomfortable, I don’t have big hands like you.” Carl chuckled, plucking the small boy’s hands from the piano keys and adjusting them into the position they were supposed to be in.

  “You don’t need big hands to play the piano. However, if you are going to learn and grow up to be the world’s greatest musician, you do need to learn the proper technique.” His ghastly pale and wrinkled hands rested over the younger man’s dark and skinny ones.

  “What if I made up my own technique for people with small hands?” The child pressed, allowing Carl to guide him through the musical piece. A smile broke out along his face, humming along so the boy could pick it up on his own.

  “Well,” He stopped moving his fingers, Markus slowly pressing a few keys that only rung a faint sound before stopping because he didn’t know what to do next.”You can’t make up a new technique if you can’t keep your hands on the piano!”

  With that, Markus was attacked with vicious tickles from under his arms and neck, shoulders scrunching up and hands trying to curl his tiny hands around Carl’s in hopes to defend himself.

  A loud scream of childish laughter and squeals from the normally quiet boy echoed throughout the whole lower level of the mansion. It felt like the liveliness of the room increased with the afternoon sunlight spewing in from the large windows, trees blowing gently outside in the garden.

  It was moments like these that Carl had cherished over the course of 6 years and 8 days. Moments where the mind of a child, powerful enough to dream the world’s problems away, impressed him with the ever growing idea that there was a piano technique from people with small hands to be created.

  Don’t ever underestimate the power of a child, no—you shall only be holding them back from their full potential. If you embrace their talents, their skills, their passions, and indulge in their dream you will see the determination of no other being to go to every extent to fulfill those dreams.

  So he never held Markus back from anything, not even the bad things of the world. He needed to experience everything the world had for himself, and see what he could learn from it.

  One and half-year-old Markus pressed a key on the piano and from then on, with the smashing of keys and horrific shrieks of noise that emitted from the piano, he learned how to play. From hot cross buns at 4 and a half years old to what they were learning now.

_A Thousand Years, by Cristina Perri._

  Sure, that was also quite a beginner song, but it also had a lot of meaning in it. A lot of emotion and power that could be interpreted, whether it be a happy lullaby, a sad awakening, or even a sentimental rhythm forever embedded in the mind.

  He wanted the boy to experience it all, and if he was being honest with himself, he wanted something for Markus to hold onto. Something to remember all that he has learned and gathered, all that he has felt now and will feel in the future. For his boy will make millions upon million smile, millions upon millions shed tears, and millions upon millions live life to their happily ever after.

  He just knew he would.

  Which was why Carl needed for him to hear this song he had been teaching him for the past week now. And while the boy was resistant with tire and imagination that needs to be tended to, he needed him to remember it and memories it. It would be what he’d need to hold onto this life later on when it became a past memory. His life with Carl, a distant memory, as he braced a new future ahead of him that of which he could only grow from.

  He rested his hand on the boy’s back, glancing down to see that great smile on his face as he heaved for the lack of air that had been replaced with violent giggles, eyes watery.

  “Alright,” He interrupted, taking his hand off the piano.”I think we’ve had enough for today.” The elder lifted the small boy next to him off of the bench, moving him to stand.”Go where ever that mind of yours has been anticipating to travel since this morning.”

  “Okay dad,” Markus chimed, before running off to whatever adventurous place that imagination took him to.

  _Okay, dad_. Never had he experience this feeling like any other before. This warm, figmented and invisible embrace that made something settle contently in his chest. If he was correct, by how Markus described it…

_“It’s like this, I dunno.. Like, imagine you were given everything you ever wanted in the whole world, and then a little bit more. It’s nice, it’s kind, and it’s important—”_

  “—Because if you don’t feel love,” He repeated to himself in remembrance.”How can you give it back to everyone else?” Such words lifted a barrier in his internal hardware, revealing an open pocket he had realized had been hidden in front of him the whole time.

  Emotions, laying on the surface of his skin, there to be acknowledged but never some he actually took it. Nothing he actually felt. Nothing, not until the boy had brought it to light. In the form of words he had created a reality inside Carl’s head, something that had developed and took over his originally coding into something more.

  Markus allowed Carl to learn what love was. How it felt, what it meant, and the value of that love. And by all means, Carl loved Markus to the heavens and back. If there even was such heaven he could believe in for what he had planned. For Markus’ sake, he sure hoped there was a heaven for people like him.

  A heaven for those who didn’t feel, but now do. A heaven for those who did as they were told, but now don’t. A heaven for those that were behind the line of humanity, and now aren’t.

  A heaven for androids, he so wished there was. For Markus.

 

* * *

 

  The rain poured down outside the quiet mansion. All the sun that had shone disappeared within the late night, clear sky turned to grey with a sunken dreary mood to it. It was loud, the rain. Violently pounding against the asphalt and beautiful architecture of the Manfred Residence.

  Or should he say, the fake residence of Carl Manfred? Technically it wasn’t Carl’s mansion at all, not the real Carl anyways. No, only the living and functional Carl made out of biocomponents and synthetic organs that would actually consider helping him out.

  But as it so happened every Carl, no matter how many he built and updated in the past, wanted him to suffer on his own instead of giving a damn for once. You’d think after donating a significant amount of money towards his patron, allowing him to build his reputation off of his sponsorship, and even giving him the luxurious mansion only a painter could want over his head would give him the idea, _”Oh, well you’ve done so much for me in the past I couldn’t possibly turn your small request down.”_

  But no, it seems the elder was both horrifically ugly on the inside as he portrayed in his underachieving paintings.

  Yes, he still held a grudge for the man, even after 6 years had passed by. Not a word he had forgotten from the elder man that was of their last argument, the last of any communication Elijah had had with him.

  But could you blame him? He was sixteen, young and dumb with a lot of responsibilities on his shoulders as the CEO of a science and technology research facility that would change the world forever with his discoveries.

  And yet, he nearly ruined it all in one night. A fan, a few drinks, a little dancing, a little less clothes... He freaked went she had called his agent telling him she was pregnant. A baby, dear lord, the thought of the news reaching the public that sixteen-year-old millionaire with a bunch of bright ideas wasn't so keen to pop a condom on would've ruined his reputation, along with his refusal to even take care of the child. It would’ve ruined the start of his business, hell—who even knows if cyberlife would exist if his sponsors had found out that he abandoned a child he brought into the world.

  He was quick to find a solution for the child as his so-called partner threaten him more as the pregnancy was coming to an end. After looking at his options, he didn’t want to send the child to a foster home. He was young and dumb, but even then he didn’t like the idea of not having the ability to have access to his child. Yet, even though he had had it for the past 6 years he barely used it, which was quite the waste seeing that sending the kid to a foster home would’ve been the solution to any and all future complications.

  So he figured, why not have a friend raise it? At least till it was old enough to.. not be a problem for Elijah anymore. The first person that came to mind was Carl Manfred, the upcoming star of the artistry industry, because why not? Manfred had been in the same situation the inventor had gotten himself into, diddle daddling with a fan in his rise of power and having an unexpected problem pop out 9 months later.

  The kid would’ve been, what? 4 by now? Elijah had heard the mother kept the baby (lucky him), but maybe she wouldn’t mind taking another accident into her hands? Or better yet, why not grace Carl with another gift on top of his many others by giving him his first born child? Sure, it was a one-night stand, by the kid must have inherited some of his genius that Carl could work with.

  But no, after all he had done for him, no. He refused. He, in fact, ordered him off of his property when the reveal of his selfishness was too much to bear. So he left, leaving the young entrepreneur to think of what else he could do to save himself the public lash back and consequences of sleeping with someone who didn’t really care what went on in his mind but instead what his other head could do.

  And then it came to him, be the brilliant idea he had been waiting for, right in front of him. Why not have his own creations raise his.. own creation? Of course, it was just a prototype when little... Elijah Junior was left on his doorstep with a very violent letter of how his beloved partner wished him good luck on tracking her, because she was gone with the wind and so to be off the radar.

  No, he did not sleep with the brightest, considering he still managed to find her current location in his late night boredom.There was no point to shipping the baby her way though, she would only expose him to benefit herself and to earn the money of the internet media.

  But he instead chose for his beta androids to raise the baby and continuous update and upgrade and adjust them till five androids became three, then two, and then one.

  However, despite his hate for the man, Elijah still designed the model’s exterior to an exact tee of the appearance of Carl Manfred. The man had been the only father-like figure who looked after him in the business industry and helped him make big decisions not even his actual father could stand up to. He was like the father he always wanted and deserved, but born too early to even have the chance.

  And who knows, maybe in another time their mistakes could’ve gotten together for a playdate or something.

  As for today however, in the timeline he had chosen, that was not the case. Standing in the cold rain, shielded by the umbrella his unique creation held up for him, he could hear the faint shrills and shrieks of a child who had not lost the only person who had raised him, but the life he had thought he was going live.

  He sympathized with him, it wasn’t the poor thing’s fault that his life was a lie created by four walls and a synthetic robot that mimicked feelings. That’s how Elijah felt he was raised, metaphorically, and he turned out fine as soon as he got out of that chaotic house. However, he did lose the only parent-like figure he had, so Elijah couldn’t blame him for not being as ecstatic as he was.

  He looked down at his phone, exhausted eyes glancing at the time. 11:47 p.m. It felt like all those hours trying to save his only solution had shriveled and shrunk up to just a few, but as his failure grow immensely the more time he spent trying to rush chaotically everything and try to form some type of plan in his panicked and anxiety-filled thoughts.

  In the end, he gave up when the stress-level reached 100%, at CT400 collapsed in the garden with a “heart attack” that burned his hard drive to an unrevivable extent. And what made it worse, was that this death was planned by the android for a while now, only waiting for the perfect opportunity to execute it.

  “I don’t know how I am going to do it,” He murmured, tucking his phone into his suit pocket.”I can’t do this.”

  The blond woman blinked, LED spiraling in a calming blue as Elijah’s pent up anxiety and distress was slowly outpouring.”You can always send another android to raise the boy.”

  “Yes, and risk the same thing happening again in few more years when the boy can start to begin to raise himself?” He quietly snapped, venom laced in his tongue.”There would come a point in that boy’s life where he would reject the continuous loss and rebel against, and you know why that affects me?”

  “No, Elijah, I do not.”

  “What if that grows up into his teenage years and runs away? What if he does something stupid and idiotic that lands him in jail and they have no parent he can tell that they could contact? You know what they’re going to do then?”.

  The stressed brunette did not even allow for the android to respond without intervening. ”They would take his DNA and find out for themselves whose child that was, and then it’d not only be revealed that Elijah Kamski, the worlds greatest inventor, had a secret child he had hidden from the media for years but one that had committed a crime.”

  He inhaled a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose as he held it for 7 seconds before shakily letting it go. Chloe said nothing in response, having he programmed specifically not to intervene if Elijah’s own stress levels were high enough to trigger some sort of panic disorder, for he had preferred distant those situations and wanted to handle his own problems on his own.

  After a moment of just breathing and trying not to get himself reworked up again, he pulled himself together and looked back at the mansion.”I have chosen to continue raising the child, until he has grown old enough to live on his own. This is the safest route to not having his existence exposed, so long as he is with me.”

  The android nodded in acknowledgment, responsively stepping closer as the man wrapped a hand around her waist for the comfort of just being able to hold something in his hands to calm down further, fingers twirling with the frilly fabric.

  “It can’t be that hard,” he reassured himself.”Many single fathers have done it before with no hassle. If anything, I have extra assistance. It’ll be just like having a pet.”

  “Would you like me to order you a foster book, Elijah? Surely, it would only benefit you to learn some good techniques and tips to make this a smoother transition for you.”

  “No,” He refused, watching as his brother finally came out with a boy whose head was buried in the crook of his neck, hands clawing at his back, muffled sobs pushing through the vest of his police uniform. The detective glared knives into his skin, but Elijah felt nothing.”I don’t think I’ll need any help. Once the child has settled, it’ll be like caring for a dog. Feed it, play with it, teach it, till it has become self-sufficient.”

  The child kicked and screamed in the arms of his brother, who held him under the shield of the balcony to protect them from the rain till his cries drained down to a soft whimper and mumble Elijah couldn’t quite make out in the distance between them.

  His brother gave such a contrasting soft look towards the child than the brunette had ever seen from him ever before. Where was that look in their childhood? Where was that look when Kamski left for college in their teenage years? Had they lost all their brotherly bonding in that rough past of theirs, or was the pig still jealous of his great success in life?

  What children bring out in people, the inventor would never understand. How they could change a stone-cold, disgusting, ungrateful cop into a softie within a matter of seconds didn’t ever seem to not amaze him. The weakness looked ugly on him.

  Soon enough, the child had tuckered itself out and had cried itself to sleep in the arms of Detective Reed. He finally walked over to his cop car and gently laid the child in the backseat, making sure not to disturb him before making his way over to him angrily. How delicate.

  “You could’ve fuckin’ told me you had a kid,” He hissed in a hushed tone, purposely controlling his temper and volume in the presence of a child a didn’t want to wake. How cute of him, though, he’d still make a shit dad himself.

  “For you to gossip to the filth of pigs you call your family? I’d pass on that.” Elijah responded casually, crossing his arms as he turned to him.

  Reed raised his finger at him, ”You are a fuckin’ psychopath, how could you do this to your goddamn child!?”

  “I never intended to harm it, if anything I wanted it happy, healthy, and in the best shape it could ever be in. I saw fit that it’s growth in those areas would only come if it stayed out of my arms and into something that knew what it was doing.”

  “And that was to give up your human child to a fuckin’ walking piece of metal and steel?”

  “Actually, it’s a mixture of synthetic material combined with layered bio—”

  “I don’t give a shit what your _toy maids_ are made of,” He interrupted, and Elijah calmly and cooperatively silenced himself.”This is your child, you brought that boy into this world and more than anything that boy needed from that sick mind of yours was the father that knew he was coming to our earth and waiting for him with open arms.”

  “Are you to say I did not provide a parental figure that had sentimental value to the child, as well as a very strong connective bond? As we both could see from the tears it gave, that _toy maid_ obviously meant something to it.”

  “Call that boy _it_ like it’s one of your goddamn emotionless robots one more time—I’ll beat you into the fucking ground till you start to look like a pile of scrap.”

  “How protective of you, _Gavin_. Never thought I’d see the day you’d play nice with any child.”

  “You know what? Fuck you.” He took a step closer, grabbing onto the neat white dress shirt Elijah had been wearing with his grubby hands.”This is your fuckin’ mistake, I only have to keep him overnight and then he’s all yours. And I fuckin’ pray to god he doesn’t turn out to be as much over a fuckin’ robot as you’ve made yourself.”

  He dropped his hands, and Elijah brushed himself off.”Perhaps disassociative was the better word choice, though I do like the use of your irony, Detective. I applaud you on that.”

  As the law enforcer walked back to his car, a bird was flown Elijah’s way and it brought a slight smirk to his face. Oh, what a disappointing improvement those anger management classes have had on his brother, he was hoping he’d put up more of a verbal fight—if not a physical one.

  He turned on his foot, walking towards his own self-driving vehicle, a beautiful masterpiece that the detective didn’t even bear to acknowledge following right beside him.”Come on, Chloe. I believe it is time for us to adapt to the newest addition to my life.” He sighed.


End file.
